Chapter 00108: A Glimpse
# A Glimpse
Chapter 108
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 108: A Glimpse
With a dull thud, a flash of light appeared beneath Ji Jue’s hands, and then a faint vibration emerged from the sword blade, buzzing uncontrollably.
Amidst the crackling sounds, cracks began to appear along the spine of the sword, stretching all the way to the guard.
Complete destruction!
After enduring countless successful and unsuccessful attempts at spirit severing over the past several days, the long sword, having reached the end of its limits, was finally put through the wringer one last time.
Like a dying camel, it succumbed under the last straw.
A hazy glimmer then slowly floated up from the crack, settling into Ji Jue’s hand, only to be swiftly absorbed and digested by the Mechanical Descent.
“Ah—”
Ji Jue tilted his head back in comfort, sighing deeply, almost brought to tears.
Finally, he had achieved his first taste since returning from the Rift!
So pure! So right! This is the flavor!
So invigorating!
Feeling countless fragments of images rushing toward him, along with a steel-like agony, Ji Jue clenched his hands tightly, his ten fingers curling.
At last, on this long and winding path of embers, he took another step forward.
How delightful! How delightful!
However, his joy was short-lived as he glanced at the progress displayed on his watch…
Once he filled up the number “1,” fleeting colors, barely discernible by the naked eye, began to appear on number “2.”
Not even one percent; it was more like counting after the decimal point!
The more work he did, the less money he earned.
As the progress bar grew longer and the effort required increased, equipment recycling had become such a hassle… What a disaster! Could it be that he was stuck in a fake legend?
Ji Jue couldn’t help but feel disheartened.
Life was becoming unbearable, without a glimmer of hope.
Thus, amidst the exhaustion of spiritual materials and the harsh blows of reality, he drifted out of the workshop, collapsing onto the sofa.
He sank into a deep sleep.
Until he was awakened again by Ye Chun’s gentle shaking.
The sun outside had already risen, and the dim light signified that evening had come.
Ye Chun, however, had changed into a simple black dress, her hair elegantly styled, her makeup neat, wearing a long-lost necklace and bracelet while carrying a small bag.
“Do you have plans for tonight?”
She looked at the dazed Ji Jue, anticipating his answer, and raised her hand first, “Let’s not count continuing work.”
“No.”
“Good, then hurry up. Gather your things and get ready to go out with me.”
Ye Chun beckoned, her expression cheerful, “Aren’t you short on cash? I’ll introduce you to a job. If it works out, you’ll have to give me a cut of the commission!”
What?! Money?!
In that instant, Ji Jue’s eyes lit up, wide open like saucers, all traces of sleep disappeared as he shot up from the sofa as if he had come back to life.
Then he heard Ye Chun’s voice: “By the way, do you have formal attire?”
“Uh, well…”
He hesitated for a moment, “I do have it, but…”
“That’s true.”
Ye Chun realized; she had seen Ji Jue’s formal wear, which was falling apart at the cuffs and barely fitting.
It could pass for a graduation ceremony or some formal event as a background, but for this specific occasion, it would be better not to wear it at all.
She looked Ji Jue up and down and finally nodded, “Forget it. Just wear that, and you can change into a plain T-shirt.”
“Is that appropriate?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” She turned and walked upstairs nonchalantly, “We’re going to a concert, not to a serious meeting in the Senate. Why so serious? Go wash up, I’ll wait for you.”
When Ji Jue emerged from the workshop after freshening up and changing clothes, Ye Chun was already downstairs.
Her previously styled hair had come undone, and after removing her jewelry, she had changed into jeans and a T-shirt, just throwing on a cardigan over it.
From the elegant young lady attending a family dinner, she had transformed into a casual and carefree seniority girl, light-hearted and delightful, almost within reach.
It made Ji Jue feel less out of place.
He couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.
“What are you standing there for?”
Ye Chun tossed the car keys towards him, “Do you know how to get to the concert hall?”
“The one at Mingyue Square in Lihua District?”
“Right, you drive.”
Ye Chun walked ahead, urging, “Since you’ve changed, if we hurry, we can still grab dinner before the show; I’m starving.”
“Ten minutes, we’ll make it!”
Ji Jue grinned, waving his hand in promise.
In reality, they arrived in six minutes.
With the aid of Mechanical Descent, Ji Jue zipped through traffic effortlessly, weaving through the congestion as if it were empty space, leaving countless drivers behind in a flurry of curses as he zoomed away.
Not only did they have time to eat, but he also left Ye Chun with some time for makeup touch-ups.
Before the performance at the concert hall began, they arrived leisurely.
As Ji Jue sat down, he realized they were in a private box.
However, the show had already begun, and the one who invited them was delayed because of traffic — reportedly startled by a reckless driver, causing him to hit the guardrail and forcing him to take a cab instead…
Upon hearing this, Ji Jue could only maintain a naive expression under Ye Chun’s complex gaze.
Pretending to appreciate the performance on stage.
According to the pamphlet handed to him, the performing group was a well-known theatrical troupe from the Empire, marking the final stop of their Federation tour.
As an internationally renowned team, tickets for their performance in Cliff City were nearly impossible to obtain.
Before tickets were even released to the public, they had already been snatched in various channels, leaving even scalpers with no opportunity to operate.
The attendees were either rich or noble; as Ji Jue looked out from the box, aside from a few familiar faces seen on TV, he even spotted a few chosen ones, though everyone seemed unfazed with one another’s presence.
As the curtain rose and a faint melody began, the previous low murmurs faded to silence.
From the sudden quiet, the performance finally commenced.
The lights were great, the music was lovely, and though understanding the Empire’s language had its challenges, it wasn’t difficult.
The dancing was truly stunning.
Especially the blonde beauty at the front, her figure captivating and her dance graceful!
Even someone like Ji Jue couldn't resist pulling out his phone to snap a few pictures, occasionally swaying his head along to the rhythm.
Ye Chun looked on, amused.
“First time seeing you enjoying the arts,” she commented, “What do you think?”
“Amazing!”
Ji Jue replied without hesitation, “So musical and joyful, well, the dancing is exquisite!”
Ye Chun turned her head away, trying to suppress her laughter.
After so many years of knowing each other, she knew Ji Jue too well.
A math and science brain, hopelessly uninformed about art.
He didn’t have an ounce of appreciation for music; except for the most popular of songs, he hardly encountered any modern music, and the only tunes he could sing were mumbled lines from earworms learned during team karaoke events…
“It really needs cultivation; you see, even the big shots in movies listen to Mozart before they commit their crimes.” Ye Chun shook her head in lament, “With no appreciation for arts, how will you survive out there? Without some finesse, you're already halfway down.”
“What does being a craftsman have to do with finesse?”
Ji Jue looked puzzled.
Besides, it wasn’t like playing a tune would make his opponent offer up their neck for slaughter, right? What if he encountered a rival? Would he have to say, “Hey bro, wait a moment, I play the cello quite well”?
Ye Chun’s line of thought was sometimes too far-fetched for him to grasp.
Though seeing her so focused on the performance made it clear this ballet must be remarkable.
He joined in clapping along, suppressing the impulse to scroll through his phone.
Soon, he heard Ye Chun’s phone vibrate.
“Finally!” Ye Chun glanced at her screen, “In a moment, I’ll introduce you to someone, and then you two can chat on your own. Once the agency stuff is done, I won’t meddle anymore.”
“Is it troublesome?” Ji Jue sensed her mild exasperation.
“It shouldn’t be. That guy just loves to show off a bit, but he’s not difficult to handle. He’s quite nice. If I had to say a downside…”
Ye Chun hesitated, sighing with a touch of melancholy, “I don’t really like the way he looks at me.”
Ji Jue froze for a moment, then grew wary.
Was he someone who made the senior sister so conscious?
Surely it's not a perv?!
With that, he decisively stood up and moved to sit next to Ye Chun.
She seemed taken aback, her expression turning complicated.
Before long, the door to their box swung open, and a chubby man entered, wiping the sweat from his forehead, breathless.
Dressed in formal attire similar to other attendees, he had a round face and wore glasses, with a warm and hopeful smile.
“Hey, Xiao Chun is already here? I’m really sorry about this mess. Sigh, today’s drivers just don’t know how to drive. If I catch that guy later, I’ll send him to driving school for a redo!”
He complained, greeted them, and then turned to Ji Jue, his smile widening, “So you must be Mr. Ji, as Xiao Chun mentioned, right? Oh my, what a promising young man! Nice to meet you!”
With sincere enthusiasm, he reached out his hands, shaking Ji Jue's hand vigorously, as if he were greeting a savior.
He handed over a business card.
“My surname is Chen, Chen Yubo. I usually do some import-export business, and if I get the chance, please take good care of me, Mr. Ji!”
As the saying goes, one doesn’t strike a smiling face.
Especially with how warm and kind Boss Chen was, Ji Jue, who had been on alert, felt a bit lost.
Moreover, judging by how he chatted with Ye Chun, it didn’t seem like they had any unpleasant encounters.
It wasn’t until he finally sat down, leaning cozily against Ye Chun, that he noticed his change in posture, the slight bend in his tie revealing a flashy pink inner layer.
Along with that cheerful and friendly smile, resembling that of a good friend…
And the look of exasperation Ye Chun cast his way.
Ji Jue’s expression twitched slightly.
Finally, it dawned on him.
Oh, so the way he looked at her was full of admiration between good buddies, right?!
Ah, as the month-end approaches, I humbly request for more monthly votes~
(End of Chapter)